Fine Fare was a chain of supermarkets which operated in the United Kingdom from 1951 until 1988. Their Yellow Pack budget own-label range, introduced in 1980, was the first own brand basic ranges to be introduced in the UK and in 1983 it was the first supermarket to sell organic food. The business was for the majority of its existence part of Associated British Foods, but were sold to in 1986 to rival Gateway Foodmarkets with the stores being rebranded.
 | |
| Company type | Private company, subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Defunct | 1988 |
| Fate | Sold and rebranded to Gateway |
| Successor | The Dee Corporation |
| Headquarters | Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom |
Key people | James Gulliver, (chairman 1967–1972) |
| Parent |
|
| Subsidiaries | Melias, Shoppers Paradise |
History edit
The company began as a single supermarket in Welwyn Garden City in 1951, as an offshoot of the Welwyn Department Store,[1] owned by Howardsgate Holdings, the company of Ebenezer Howard, the founder of the garden city movement.[2] It was one of a series of convenience store chains established in the 1950s, the others being Premier and Victor Value.[3]
In January 1959, it won a court case against Brighton Corporation, which had insisted that its outlets closed on Wednesday afternoons under the Shops Act 1950.[4] By 1962, it had over two hundred shops.[5]
The company was acquired by Associated British Foods in 1963.[6] ABF appointed James Gulliver to the post of chairman of Fine Fare in 1967; he continued to lead the business until 1972.[7] Seven years after the takeover by Associated British Foods, the turnover had grown from £75 million to £200 million.[8]
In 1974, Fine Fare bought 47 stores of the East Anglian based Downsway supermarket chain, which was owned by the Vestey family business, Union International Group.[9] Other chains purchased included Burton Supermarkets (Nottingham based), Elmos (East Anglian based), Mercury Market (North West based) and Coopers (Scotland based in 1955).[10]
The business was regularly listed as third in market share behind Sainsbury's and Tesco, and had stores nationwide. They also owned the Melias,[11] and Shoppers Paradise chains of convenience and discount food stores,[12] and moved into the burgeoning DIY industry with their Fix and Fit stores (sold to WHSmith Do It All in 1986).[13] In 1983, Fine Fare became Britain's first supermarket to sell organic foods.[14]
In June 1986, ABF sold the company to The Dee Corporation (subsequently known as Somerfield).[15] Following this, all Dee Corporation's newly acquired stores were either rebranded as Gateway Foodmarkets or closed, meaning the Fine Fare name (including Shoppers Paradise and Melias) disappeared by the end of the 1980s.
Fine Fare sponsored the Scottish Football League for three years from the season of 1985–86 (beginning August 1985)[16] to the season of 1987–88 (which ended in May 1988, around the same time that the last Fine Fare stores closed).[17] The business also advertised on television, the commercials were fronted by the actor Gordon Jackson for a time.[18]
Operations edit
Fine Fare's depots were at Welwyn Garden City (Hertfordshire), East Kilbride (Lanarkshire), Washington (Tyne & Wear), Cheadle Hulme (Stockport), Hucknall (Nottinghamshire), Tuffley (Gloucester) and Aylesford (Kent).[citation needed] Shoppers Paradise only depots were at East Kilbride (Lanarkshire), Weedon (Northampton), Stevenage (Hertfordshire) and Alton (Hampshire). Washington also held stocks of non food items for national distribution.[citation needed], Bromsgrove (Worcestershire) opened on August 1979.[19]
In popular culture edit
Fine Fare is mentioned in the song "Aisle of Plenty" from the album Selling England by the Pound by the progressive rock band, Genesis.[citation needed] It was also the subject of a song by the punk band Toy Dolls called "Nowt Can Compare to Sunderland Fine Fare" from their fourth album Bare Faced Cheek.[20]
References edit
- ^ "Welwyn Garden City:Welwyn Gardens own Supermarket Chain". Our Welwyn Garden City. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Obituary: Bryan Russel Archer – Architects Journal". Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ Hamlett, Jane; Regulating UK supermarkets: an oral-history perspective By Jane Hamlett, Andrew Alexander, Adrian R. Bailey and Gareth Shaw, published by Historyandpolicy.org, accessdate: 18 February 2011
- ^ "Royal Court of Justice", The Times page 4, 29 January 1959
- ^ Stratton, Michael; Trinder, Barrie Stuart (2000). Twentieth century industrial archaeology By Michael Stratton, Barrie Stuart Trinder Page 82. ISBN 9780419246800. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ Associated British Foods: History Archived 24 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ James Gulliver Chairman of Food Group dies at 66 The New York Times, 17 September 1996
- ^ "Obitury of Sir Alistair Grant – The Independent p.24 Jan 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Fine Fare buys 47 stores". Financial Times. 1 July 1976.
- ^ "Associated British Foods". The Accountant. 147: 824. 1962.
- ^ United Kingdom. "Louis Sherwood". Merchantventurers.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Strategy in Retailing: the development of Kwik Save Group plc" (PDF). Irs.stir.ac.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 July 2007. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "The Lost Precinct: An A to Z of Defunct Retailers – EM60 East of the M60". Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ The Death of Rural England: A Social History of the Countryside Since 1900 by Alun Howkins – ISBN 9780415138840
- ^ Somerfield: History Archived 18 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Celtic Match Programmes 1985". Celticmatchprogrammes.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Celtic Match Programmes 1987". Celticmatchprogrammes.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
- ^ "Gordon Jackson in Pictures". Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ "25 years ago August 17, 1979". Worcester News. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "The Toy Dolls Lyrics – lyricsbox". Retrieved 17 April 2015.